Eternal Glow: A Novel by Heather GaySeries: Little White Lies #1
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Add the Book on:Goodreads
Rating: ★★★½
Genre: Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Synopsis:
When a Mormon wife undergoes a new beauty procedure, the cost of perfection proves all too high, in this thriller from the reality TV star and bestselling author.
Celeste built herself up from ridiculed outsider to pillar of the local Mormon mom group. Even among these perfectly polished and affluent women, her life appears utterly flawless, but the competition is stiff and the fall from the top is a long one. When Celeste’s husband is suddenly laid off and her credit cards are maxed out, her pristine façade quickly begins to crumble.
Desperate to conceal her darkening undereye bags and escape the mockery of her past, Celeste is eager for a quick fix. And her prayers are answered when she’s invited to participate in the ultra-exclusive beta testing of a mysterious procedure. Known as the “Eternal Glow,” it’s guaranteed to be the hottest new beauty trend. After agreeing to tell no one about the treatment, Celeste receives the full VIP experience and is completely transformed free of charge.
Now back on the scene with an enviable glow-up, Celeste receives all the admiration she’s been missing. Her husband dotes on her again, and her renewed social standing has landed her the keynote speaker position at the upcoming Women’s Conference. But then gruesome side effects begin to deform her face, and soon Celeste suspects a shadowy figure of stalking her every move. As she clings to the last vestiges of her dream life, one thing becomes painfully clear: her “quick fix” comes at an unholy cost.
Blending campy body horror with satire and a deliciously unexpected twist, this chilling thriller from the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star and New York Times–bestselling author of Bad Mormon is perfect for fans of The Substance and Big Little Lies.
REVIEW
Celeste has fought hard to go from ridiculed outsider to pillar of her ultra-polished Mormon mom group in Utah. Her life looks flawless from the outside, but with her husband suddenly laid off and her credit cards maxed out, that pristine facade is cracking fast. Heather Gay, in her fiction debut and first book of the Bad Mormons series, knows this world inside and out, and she writes it with sharp, satirical affection. When Celeste gets a hush-hush invitation to beta test an exclusive new beauty procedure known as the Eternal Glow. Guaranteed to be the hottest new trend, she jumps at the free VIP transformation.
What starts as a deliciously campy social satire quickly slides into body horror. Gay nails the competitive, high-gloss pressure of Utah mom culture, the fundraisers, the whispered judgments, and the desperate need to glow a little brighter than the woman next to you. The early makeover scenes are fun and bingeable, and Celeste’s return to the top as newly radiant chairwoman of the big fundraiser is immensely satisfying. Then the side effects start, and the tone shifts to something much darker and more paranoid as Celeste suspects she’s being stalked and her new face begins to betray her.
This is where the book both shines and stumbles for me. The satire of beauty obsession and the cost of perfection is spot-on and clearly informed by Gay’s own experiences in the beauty industry, and blending Big Little Lies meets The Substance is a clever hook. The body horror is genuinely creepy, but the thriller plot in the second half becomes predictable, and the big twist lands softer than it should. I wanted Gay to lean even harder into the horror or the humour, rather than splitting the difference.
Still, as a debut thriller, it’s an entertaining, fast read with a deliciously wicked premise. As Celeste learns, “In Utah, your face is your testimony.” Eternal Glow is campy, chilling in bursts, and perfect for fans who want their satire with a side of gruesome glow-up. It didn’t fully wow me, but I’ll absolutely pick up book two.
Disclaimer: Links on this page may contain affiliate links, and purchasing a copy through them may generate a small commission for the site owner. A free copy of this book was provided by Podium Publishing via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
